Maharathi

Lovely movie , excellent performances , top notch screenplay , loved every bit of it , nail biting climax

The VCD story, when read, may appear to be telling about several conmen trying to outwit each other. However, it is the catchline (tagline) that takes the cake and paves the way for the story to unfold.

The first half was a bit stretched although it was good for character development of some of the lead characters.

Paresh goes a little over the top several times in this movie, perhaps as a result of bringing a theatre piece to the screen. Boman, Paresh, Om and Naseer are great in the other scenes, especially in the second half when the pace catches up.

I did find a couple of plot points predictable but it still manages to get the attention of the viewers due to clever atmosphere-building.

This is not a great film or a masterpiece but I still give it 9 for its plot and entertainment value.

Shivam Nair assembles a fine cast in 'Maharathi'. With actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri in one movie, you would expect something great. I enjoyed the execution. It has that film noire feel to it. The interiors of Adenwalla's mansion is stunning. The cinematography is first rate. The editing is sharp. The element of mystery, suspense and drama is well maintained. The events unfold smoothly but surprisingly. Every time one would expect the story to follow a certain track, the viewer is thrown off with something unexpected. Paresh Rawal does a very good job carrying the film. Boman Irani isn't bad either. Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri also do nothing short of a fine job (unfortunately they don't share screen space). Neha Dhupia looks the part but struggles to convince. It was great to see Tara Sharma after a long time. While I liked the whole mystery part, I was disappointed by the ending. I would have preferred a darker finale. In the conclusion, Subhash is portrayed as a character of little fault but he is almost as guilty as Adenwalla's wife. It was his plan to start with, as a consequence of which someone actually died. Yet, he turns out to be the good guy because the one who died is of 'loose' morals in comparison. This is a major flaw that prevents me from calling 'Maharathi' excellent. I also find it less convincing that a millionaire would leave his entire estate to a stranger he knows so little about. However, I didn't mind it at all for a one time watch because it's well made and has some good performances.

It was an awesome flick and all the big guns shouted in Unison. Paresh and Boman are outstanding. Paresh Rawal act fabulously in the movie. The movie is eye catching from very of its beginning and also audience start guessing about the characters from starting scenes. The movie catches the speed in 30-40 mins when Tag line of movie "How do you murder a man who has already committed suicide?", actually start reflecting in the story. Paresh's acting of fooling others and expressions of innocence at the same time, truly differentiates him from other actors. His drama to misguide the police officer and lawyer was really comic part of movie and pours humor. Even sometimes it makes you roll into laughter. Hats off to Paresh. Uttam Gada is really admirable for writing such a nice script. Good direction by Shivam Nair, a bit loose in the second half but covered in the end. Neha Dhupiya's acting was only negative even though she is very less to do. Overall worth watching the "Maharathi".

Shivam Nair's film Maharathi is a suspense thriller that keeps many questions unanswered till the end. The film comes with some of the finest performance of lead actors but that doesn't make up for the flaws in the script. The film is about how a common man gets the property money of his employer and the legal aspect of making a will is not convincingly clarified..

Adapted from a very popular Gujarati play by the same name, Maharathi makes for an interesting watch solely for the performance of almost all its lead actors. But what keeps on striking the viewer constantly are the limitations of a play being adapted to the big screen. Firstly, for a thriller, the plot appears far too stretched, especially in the first half. Then once the first major twist in the plot takes place, what follows is at times, a matter of convenience. OK even if you are willing to forgive some cinematic liberties, what really comes out is not only predictable but also raises many questions..

If you want a taste of a desi version of Sleuth, Peter Shaffer's spellbinding play-turned-film, go watch Maharathi. The story may be different, the edge of danger is almost similar.